Everyway The Wind Blows
by outsiders8910
Summary: After the incident, they didn't keep their promise. Soda's fed up with the fighting, Pony thinks he's losing his brother. In situations like these, family isn't all you need...
1. Chapter 1

**New idea let me know what you think! Johnny and Dally are dead:( this is two years after the book so Pony is 16 Soda is 18 and so on with everyone else's ages. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own 'The Outsiders' S.E. Hinton does. I also don't own the song 'Scars' by Papa Roach, they do of course.**

I tear my heart open,

I sew myself shut,

My weakness is that I care too much,

Those scars remind us that the past is real,

Tear my heart open just to feel…

~Papa Roach

**Chapter 1**

"Thanks for the ride, Steve," I give Steve my gratitude as I slam his car door.

"No problem Soda, I'll probably be back later if my old man is at it again," I look up and twitch as a single raindrop hits my face. The sky is all gloomy and gray; I can already tell a storm is on its way. Not waiting for it to get any worse, me getting drenched in particular, I hurry towards the shelter of the porch. Steve's car peels out of the driveway and I know that within a couple of hours I'll be graced with his presence.

I reach for the handle of the door but stop short at the arguing coming from inside, "Pony how many times do I have to say this? You need to pull your grades up. Obviously you haven't gotten the point yet if I'm still telling you to do it," Darry's voice echoed throughout the house.

"Darry, how many times do _I_ have to say this? I'm trying the best I can so you need to just lay off," Pony retorts.

"Oh _I_ need to lay off? You better watch-"Darry continues but I tune the rest out. I sigh as the slight sprinkling turns into a full-out downpour. Yet I lean up against the wall, enjoying the rejuvenating mist as it collides with my face. But my happiness slowly fades away as I recall what has happened in the past years. The events coming rushing back into my mind as I hear the voices inside raise to an even higher volume.

_Almost two years since Johnny killed that soc. Almost two years since Johnny and Pony ran away. Almost two years since __she__ cheated on me and left town. Almost two years since Johnny and Dallas died. Almost two years since they promised to stop fighting. And almost two years since that promise was broken._

My trace of thought comes to a halt as I realize I've probably been outside for more than five minutes. I finally go inside, knowing it's going to be the same way it always is as soon as I step foot in that door. Sure enough my shoe hits the wood paneling, and at the exact moment the creaking noise comes out, the voices fade into an awkward silence. I stalk off into mine and Pony's room. The tension in the house is thick, like plastic wrap.

As soon as I close the door I hear them at it again, but in low voices this time. I listen awhile longer until the door slams shut, the voices decease. "Hello Curtis clan!" Two-Bit's voice bellows. As I walk out of my room a smile is plastered on my face. With Two-Bit around, a good time always comes. It's like a packaged deal. Of course in some cases, I could be wrong.

Through dinner I kept my head down, hoping I wouldn't get involved in their dispute again. Two-Bit was zoning out while watching T.V. so he didn't notice. But I caught the occasional glares being exchanged between Ponyboy and Darry. This was getting out of control. I'm sick of the fighting. I'm done with it.

The door slammed shut and two thoughts popped in my head. _Either Two-Bit left or Steve just came in. _I was hoping that it was the second option. Otherwise, as soon as I would leave the room, they would be having it out again. "Hey Steve-O!" Two-Bit practically shouted. Then I heard a slap of skin against skin and a thud of a body hitting the floor. I heard muffled laughter and gave a sigh of relief that hopefully there would be no more fighting between my brothers tonight. But I winced inside when I saw Darry give Pony one of his famous we'll-discuss-this-later looks. They just wouldn't let it go would they?

A clap on the back from Steve jolted me back into reality. He gave me this weird look as if I had grown a third eye. Still thinking about their latest fight, I shot him a grin to let him know that everything was fine. But Steve knew me too well, he saw right past my façade. He also knew that if he wanted to know the real reason, he was going to have to force it outta me.

Darry was cleaning up the table and supposedly get started on the bills. Pony was in the living room watching T.V. with Two-Bit.

_My stare went back to Darry; he still looked exactly the same. The only part that had changed was his eyes, they now looked stressed, anxious, and most of all tired. But raising two teenagers could do that to you I guess. Pony was still his same old self except he was now almost as tall as me, more muscular too. You would think that with all he's been through, the kid's had enough. Yet the look in his eyes was unsolvable. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but something had changed, hell of course something had changed I mean look at what he had to face. He seemed more to himself now like me that night when they took it too far and I blew up. I held it in too long and I figured that it was going to be the exact same way with Pony. Time would take its toll, he would eventually pop and the contents will release and spill, just like a soapy bubble that had been poked with a fork. _

I shook my head, wondering why I had been thinking so much tonight. I grabbed Pony's pack of cigarettes and his lighter and walked outside. I saw Pony and Steve's gaze because both knew I didn't smoke unless it was real bad. _Last time I smoked was when __she__ left_. I lit the smoke and inhaled deeply, my nerves relaxed as I exhaled. The smoke being released looked a lot like the sky, foggy and gray. I just sat there puffing my cigarette when Steve came out beside me,

"Soda what's going on…" It wasn't like a question really more like a statement that was really supposed to mean _'Soda tell me what the hell is going through your head before I kick it out of you'._

"Nothing Steve, nothing at all," I stated.

"Soda, that's bullshit and you know it. I sure as hell know that you don't smoke unless something is really bothering you," he demanded an answer.

"You really wanna know what's wrong? Fine I'll tell you what's wrong. My goddamn brothers won't stop fighting even though they promised. My girlfriend ditched me two years ago and I'm still hurting at the thought of it. But the worst thing is that they only go at each other when I'm not around so I sit here while they're at each other necks waiting until one of them finally breaks and leaves. And I'll have no clue what the hell just went on, so Steve, unless you wanna talk to Darry about it or deal with Pony who we all know you love _so_ much, there's nothing you can do about it so let it go. Maybe I just care too much, oh I don't know I'm all screwed up but please don't let me burden you with my problems. I'm perfectly fine-" I didn't even bother to finish, afraid something even stupider would come out. I don't even know what came over me but I huffed off out in the rain. The outburst was unexpected and I made a mental note that I needed to apologize to Steve tomorrow.

Thinking about my previous outburst made me think about fighting. And thinking about fighting made me think about breaking. But most of all, thinking about breaking made me think about the exact words Two-Bit said when Dally blew up. _So even Dally has a breaking point._ If Dally had a breaking point then everyone did. And I was moments away from hitting mine...

**Let me know what you think by hitting that review button! I'm trying to decide if I should continue or not!**

**~Dom :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Geez sorry for the long wait! Hope everyone had a fantastic holiday, and a great new year! I got some pretty awesome gifts….Outsiders posters to be exact :D If any of you read my other kinda bad stories…my Christmas gift to you is that I'm completely rewriting them, they'll still have the same plot and all that stuff, just a different style. Anyways thanks to all who reviewed! I really appreciate it!**

**P.S. the plotline will be revealed later, so bare with me:] **

**WARNING: POTTY MOUTHS IN THIS CHAPTER**

**Disclaimer: I sadly don't own 'The Outsiders' S.E. Hinton does….she's an extremely lucky duck.**

**Chapter 2 (joy!)**

My eyes never left my older brother as he snatched my cigarettes, then walked out of the house. I started to rise, about to follow him, but the look Steve gave me made me slump back down on the couch. _I'm his _brother, _I know him more than you do, _I thought as Steve followed him out, like a puppy wanting a bone. The puppy being Steve, the bone being the emotions and information Soda was hiding.

I placed my ear against the front door, trying to gather as much information as I could. Unfortunately, the only thing I could hear was a faint murmur coming from the other side. The never ending rain was so loud; it drowned out most of the conversation. "Pone, is the rain trying to speak to you? Or are you just fascinated by the doors design?" Two-Bit asked, bursting into fits of laughter as soon as he finished speaking. I rolled my eyes and sighed in defeat, there was no way I would be able to hear anything. Hell, the rain was so loud; we could barely hear the television that was almost on full blast.

I returned to my seat on the couch, straining my ears to even catch a sentence of their conversation. After a minute or so, I finally gave up and tried to direct my attention to the T.V. I rolled my eyes at Two-Bit, who was complaining nonstop about the show on the screen, but was making no attempt to get up and change the channel. I didn't stay focused for long though, my attention slowly turned to the rising volume of the voices on the other side of the door.

Although I couldn't make out any of the words, I was still surprised at what I was hearing. Soda was yelling, in anger. Soda, never in his life, had screamed at anyone when he was pissed. I was incredulous about the acerbity in his voice. But my main concern was why. _ Why was he yelling? Why was he so angry? More importantly, what pushed him over the edge?_

Steve entered the house, giving me continuous glares. Soda never came in though. Darry was in the kitchen and Two-Bit was completely oblivious towards what was happening. _What the hell did I do? _ I kept asking myself that question. Sure, Steve and I were never on good terms, but I hadn't done anything _yet_ to make him this pissed at me. Steve smirked as Darry's voice echoed throughout the house, "Ponyboy Curtis, get in here. Now." _Oh shit, I'm screwed,_ I thought to myself as I entered the kitchen, prepared to meet my fate.

"Care to explain this?" Darry questioned as he thrust a piece of paper in my face. It was a guardian teacher conference to discuss my declining grades. Tragic. Darry's face had a hint of red in it, yet I still I had the courage to say a smart ass remark, "I'd rather not, it explains it all on the paper," I stated. He was fuming now.

"Why the hell is it in my house?" Darry growled. _Well that's a stupid question. Obviously I'm not doing well in school._ Luckily I bit my tongue before I said something else.

"Let's face it Dare, my grades suck. There's not much to it," my voice shook with every word I said. I was scared shitless.

"Well, then I'm guess you're going to have to bring them up, 'cause you're going to college. Why would you wanna blow that?" Oh no. He was not bringing up this bullshit again.

"What if I don't want to go to college," it was a statement, not a question. To be honest, I was pissed. He never thought about what _I_ wanted.

"Ponyboy Curtis. We're putting you through college. End of discussion," he got up, just about to leave. Then I opened my mouth and said the dumbest words possible, "I'm dropping out. I'm not gonna live the dream that _you _never got to." His head whipped around.

"You're not dropping out. That's final," Darry said, anger in his voice. I just had to keep egging him on,

"Why? You obviously don't care about grades if you let Soda drop out," I argued.

"Ponyboy Michael, don't you dare bring your brother into this. He has nothing to do with-" I cut him off,

"Yes he does! It's not fair! My grades are just as bad as his were and you are telling me I can't do the exact same shit he did? Real fair Dare, real fair," I huffed, beyond pissed. _I was furious, but at who? It wasn't Soda, Darry was right Soda had nothing to do with it. It wasn't Darry; he was just trying to do_ _what's best for me. Was it me?_ Darry's voice broke my thoughts, "Soda…" his voice trailed off.

"Darry, Soda's not here. He's somewhere else, pissed to no end," I recalled as my brother's eyes moved to something behind me. I silently cursed myself as I turned around to be face-to-face with my brother, who was soaking wet and now had a stoic expression on his face, his eye glazed over.

I was speechless, not because I was surprised, but because I was afraid to say anything else that could completely screw me over. _Ponyboy, you're such a dumbass. He heard _everything._ Grades, fighting, dropout, everything. _All eyes were on me, especially Soda's. I couldn't even make eye contact with him. I was struggling to find words as Steve sneered at me, Two-Bit's eyes saying, _you screwed up kid. _Next thing I knew, I was running out of the house, into the pouring rain at full speed.

_There you go Ponyboy, running away from your problems yet again, _the little voice in my head kept reminding me as I sprinted down the street. Hearing the footsteps behind me made me run even faster, but not fast enough to miss a reflection in the glass from a store on the side of the road. _It was a kid, a sixteen year old to be exact. A teen that just fucked up and was now running, afraid to face the music. A teen who thought he knew everything and would fight to prove he was right. A teen that went by the name of Ponyboy Curtis. A teen who was me. A teen that took all the good things in life and destroyed every single one of them._

I was disgusted with the reflection and kept running with my head down, not wanting to see it again. I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing, where I was going. But I sure as hell looked up to see a Corvette's headlights shining on me. I forgot mom's number one rule, look both ways before crossing the street. I tried to move my feet, but they felt as if they were glued to the cement. In a way, I guess I deserved it.

_So this is what Darry meant when he said I didn't use my head, _I explained to myself as I closed my eyes, waiting for the vehicle to run me over. Behind my eyelids, I could still see the bright lights coming at me, my face getting hotter with every millisecond as the lights shone directly on me. Then I felt the impact, but it wasn't as powerful, or as heavy as I thought it would be…

**Well, there it is. If Ponyboy seems OOC, remember that he is now sixteen and things change. So anyways, I would really appreciate it if you reviewed. They make me happy!:]**


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